Nick draped his arm around her shoulders.
"It's complicated, isn't it? Stephanie will find out whatever she can. I think you have to be careful here."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm probably not the best person to talk to about this," Nick said. "My father was a drunk, my mother allowed herself to be abused and my sister is a bitch. I don't have fond memories of family."
"What's your point?"
"Just because she's your half-sister doesn't mean she's family. She's a stranger and she's an enemy. People usually define family by blood ties but I don't see it that way. I think family are the people you can rely on, the people you know who will back you up when you need it. People who can rely on you."
"She's still my sister."
"Yes, she is, but she doesn't know that."
"It could make a difference if she did," Selena said.
"It could. Meanwhile I've got an idea."
Selena looked at him. "What?"
"Let's go get one of those Long Island iced teas you like."
CHAPTER 43
The George V in the heart of Paris had been a favorite hotel of the rich for decades. It was where Gutenberg always stayed when he was in town. He was getting dressed in his room when his encrypted phone signaled a call from Appo Thorvaldson, one of AEON's seven directors.
"Appo. How are you?"
"I'm fine, Johannes, but I'm afraid you are not."
"What do you mean?"
"We have a security breach. Your emails are being intercepted by an outside party."
"What? That's impossible."
"I have a man working for me who takes care of all my electronic security. He monitors everything that comes into my computer. He discovered an anomaly in your last email."
Gutenberg looked at his watch. He was meeting Valentina for dinner.
"Go on."
"Someone has put a tracking program on your computer that allows them to monitor all of your communications."
"You're certain."
"Of course, or I wouldn't bother you."
"How would this be done?" Gutenberg asked. "How could someone get through my firewalls and plant their program?"
"Our security protocols make it unlikely it was done over the Internet. It had to be done by someone with direct access to your computer."
Gutenberg flushed with anger. He kept his laptop was with him at all times. There was only one other person who could have gotten to it.
Valentina. She has betrayed me.
"We have to deal with this, Johannes."
"Don't worry, I'll take care of it. I think I know who is responsible. Where are the messages going?"
"We don't know yet. If you send me a long message, we'll have time to trace the signal back to whoever is spying on you."
"Perhaps we can turn this to our advantage," Gutenberg said.
"In what way, Johannes?"
"They don't know we've discovered them. Let me think about it."
"When will you send the message?"
"Tomorrow morning. I'll alert you when I'm ready to do it. And now, I'm going to be late for a dinner engagement."
"Ah, yes, the lovely Valentina. You are fortunate to have such a beautiful mistress."
"I've been growing tired of her. I think it may be time for a change."
"Oh? Do you think she might consider a new liaison?"
"With you?"
"Why not? I don't mind slightly used goods."
Gutenberg thought about what he was going to do when he talked to Valentina about the computer.
"I don't think you'll want to pursue that, my friend."
He ended the call.
In a room three doors down, an SVR technician had been listening to the conversation. He turned off the recorder and took off his headphones. Gutenberg had made a mistake common to men who thought they were invulnerable, the mistake of predictability. He always stayed at the George V when he was in Paris. It had been a simple matter to determine when he would arrive at the hotel and equally simple to put listening devices in his rooms.
The program installed on Gutenberg's computer had been discovered. The technician called the number he'd been given in case there was a problem. Across town, Valentina's handler picked up his phone.
CHAPTER 44
Valentina was getting ready to leave her apartment to meet Gutenberg at the restaurant when her phone buzzed. She looked at the display. It was a text from Lucien, her handler.
She felt a wave of adrenaline ripple through her body. It was a prearranged emergency abort code. She was compromised, in immediate danger. It meant she had to run.
Now.
She'd dressed in high heels and a designer evening outfit from Dior for the evening. It wasn't the best outfit for going to ground. She swore under her breath, kicked off the shoes and dropped the clothes to the floor. She ran to the closet and pulled on black jeans, a shirt and a pair of boots. On the shelf was a leather belt pack with money, passports and a Glock G27. She clipped the pack onto her belt.
Valentina checked the Glock to make sure there was a round in the chamber. The pistol had the advantage of being small and light, with nothing projecting to snag the weapon in a pocket or a purse at an inconvenient time. Nine rounds of .40 caliber hollow points were more than enough. If she needed more, she'd be in trouble.
She pulled on a warm jacket and cracked open the door, the Glock in her right hand. It had been less than five minutes since Lucien had called. The hallway was clear. Valentina let her training take over.
You can't go out the front of the building. They'll have that covered. Same for the back.
She headed for the roof. One of the reasons she'd picked this building was for easy access to the roof. A door at the end of the hall led to a stairwell. She opened it and stepped through. She held the heavy door so it wouldn't slam and shut it behind her.
The building was nine stories tall and her apartment was on the fifth floor. The stairs were brightly lit. She climbed with the easy movements of a predator, her footsteps barely sounding in the hollow space. A door slammed somewhere below. The echo vibrated up through the stairwell. Rapid footsteps sounded on the stairs, coming toward her. It sounded like two men.
Valentina reached the door leading onto the flat roof and went through. Gravel crunched under her feet. Overhead, the Paris sky was without stars. The brilliant glow from the city's millions of lights reflected from a canopy of low hanging clouds. There was a smell of April rain in the air.
The next building over was eight stories high, separated from hers by a narrow alley. It was an easy leap across the gap to the roof on the other side. From there she'd make her escape.
The footsteps coming up the stairs were close. They'll be here before I can make the jump, she thought. If I make it before they get here, I'll be a target. Even if I get away, they'll know where I've gone.
She pocketed the Glock. Shots would only bring the police.
Valentina's voluptuous looks were deceiving. Her curves hid layers of powerful muscles. She stood to the side of the shed and waited. The footsteps paused, then gravel crunched as someone stepped onto the roof. She slammed the open door into the unseen figure with all her strength. The man cried out in pain.
Valentina came around the door like one of hell's dark angels. She let go with a vicious kick of her steel-toed boot into the fallen man's head. She felt the bones of his face shatter. He screamed. His partner raised a pistol and fired. The shot burned across her upper arm as she drove her stiffened fingers into his throat. He fell backward and rolled down the steps. The body came to rest on the next landing.
Blood ran warm down her arm but there was no time to treat the wound. Valentina turned and ran across the roof and leapt for the top of the building next door. She rolled as she hit, her jaw clamped tight against the pain of her injured arm. She came up moving and ran to the door leading into the building.